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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Pfeffernüsse - Outdoor Wednesday

Over the weekend we happened upon a Christmas tree harvest at a local farm. It was fascinating to watch. I was amazed by a seeming contradiction as we watched the process. It's become highly mechanized but still remains quite labor intensive. The men, using specialized equipment, moved in teams to fell, bundle, lift and transport the trees. They completed in a day what would have taken weeks not long ago.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My feature of the day was to have been Transylvanian Goulash. Since there was no way to tie it to a Christmas tree harvest, I thought a holiday cookie recipe might be more appropriate. Pfeffernüsse are a favorite of mine. Today's very old and authentic recipe comes from Hannie, in whose German kitchen I learned to make them. Pfeffernüsse are spicy cookies that are part of the Christmas traditions in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. The name translates to peppernuts and it accurately describes their spicy taste as well as the fact that they contain finely chopped nuts and a small amount of black pepper. Spices vary in different versions of the recipe, as does the coating which can range from a liberal application of confectioners' sugar to a thick glaze. The cookies are very easy to make, but they need to be refrigerated in order to shape them, so plan accordingly. Here's the recipe.

53 comments
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These are my all time favorite cookie! I LOVE them. I have been too intiminated to attempt to make them. Maybe, I will try this year.

We have been seeing tons of trucks loaded down with Christmas trees from here in Michigan as well. All heading down south. My husband used to drive over the road. One year he picked up a load of trees in Northern Michigan and headed to Texas with them. They cut and loaded the trees while he waited. We were having a major snow blizzard at the time so, a ton of snow was packed in with the trees. When he got to Texas the next day, the guy at the lot was so excited to see all the snow had clung and froze on to the branches that he was able to sell the trees for a larger amount! My husband said it was amazing how excited people were to get a Christmas tree that had snow on it!to this day, that trip was one of his all time favorite ones!

Amazing photos of the tree harvest! I had no idea they used helicopters to move them, how interesting! I love Pfeffernusse cookies, unfortunately I'm the only one in my family who does. Happy Outdoor Wednesday. Kathy

Mary,I have never seen them use helicopters before-what a fantastic view! Your cookies are something I definelty want to make for Chirstmas. I like how you put the two together.Have an wonderful outdoor Wednesdayvickie

Hi Mary. Thank you very much for always taking the time to comment so lovely on my blog. This time I would like to tell you something. Pfeffernusse are entirely different in Holland and I believe in Belgium too. The recipe does not differ very much from the german cookies but the size is different. Our pfeffernusse are little like about half an inch size drops on the baking tray. Don't know how else to explain. We eat pfeffernusse once a year only at Santa Claus, we call that Sinterklaas. We celebrate that on the 5th of December and exchange presents like you do at Christmas.There is a lot to find at google about Sinterklaas if you are interested. Hve a nice day, Riet

Riet, thank you for the information regarding the size of the cookies in Holland. I knew about the celebrations of the 5th and 6th but not about the size of the cookies served outside of Germany on those days. Blessings...Mary

Hi MaryThe Christmas tree harvest was interesting to see! It seems earluy to be cutting down trees..now I know why the needles fall off so quickly when I buy a "fresh" tree in the middle of DEcember..lol

Cookies look delicious! The Christmas tree farm is interesting. we take it for granted that those trees magically appear in all the lots, forgetting all the work behind them. We always cut our own, but so many people rely on them being cut for them. That was an eye opener. thanks

Good morning Mary, visiting yesterday just didn't happen for me. I am getting over a cold and we were committed to play duplicate bridge. It was a stretch for me but we won first place. Worth the effort. I came home and slept. Dom't get sick!!! YUK.

The Christmas tree operation would have been something to watch. Good bloggers always have their camera ready. Great photos.

Your cookie recipe is one I love. MY sister-in-law always makes those cookies for our Christmas cookie bake. Every year our family gets together for a cookie bake. We do it in my home because I have large rooms and an extra oven in the cabin close by. I will post it later.

Hi Mary.......I love those cookies, my Mom use to buy them from this lil' German bakery when we were growing up. I liked to dunk them into my coffee as weird as that sounds. Your blog is always so enjoyable and so many great recipes and pictures..... thanks for sharing.

Oh my gosh! I love Pfeffernüsse and my mom makes them every Christmas for me. Our recipe has been handed down through our family for generations. I always put aside enough to freeze so I can dole them out to myself and enjoy them for months afterward.

I too have been cutting back on my cookie baking Mary, my family is all grown and gone. I gave all my cookie cutters to my girls last year and they were not happy campers LOL! These cookies I will probably make though, my Mom and Grandmother made them every year, they are a personal favorite of mine. Merry Christmas!

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